Avacados and Your Pet

Feb 05, 2010

Pass the Guacamole?

It is well known that several human foods are bad for our pets. We all grew up knowing that you should never give Fido chocolate....but what about avacados? This seemingly harmless fruit can prove to be delicious for humans, but studies have shown they can be quite harmful to some of our favorite pets.

The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently published an article entitled People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets.Avacados can be found third on their list among other well known foods such as chocolate, grapes, alcohol, macadamia nuts, and onions.

So what's the big deal with the avacado? Well avacados contain a toxic fatty acid derivative known as Persin which can cause toxic respiratory and cardiac reactions in some species of animals. Birds, horses and small animals seem to have the strongest reaction to this toxin, while some animals such as cats, dogs, and ferrets according to the ASPCA have no reliable reports of poisioning. Evidence shows that individual animals may have different reactions to this toxin, and the amount of avocado consumed also plays a role into how this toxin affects the animal. Basicall avacado consumption does not necessarily mean a death sentence for your pet, but it definately has potential to be life threatening in some cases.

So next time you break out the avacados, stay on the safe side and keep it away from your pet.